Alongside the formal BRICS sessions, Modi also held several pull-aside meetings with world leaders and heads of international institutions attending the summit and the Outreach/BRICS Plus Dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 15 bilateral meetings with visiting heads of state and government over three days as the 18th BRICS Summit concluded at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sunday, underlining the intense diplomatic engagement surrounding India’s hosting of the summit.
The Prime Minister’s diplomatic engagements began on Friday afternoon with a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Bharat Mandapam. On Saturday, Modi began his day with bilateral talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali at Hyderabad House. He later held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He subsequently met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. Modi then welcomed BRICS leaders as they arrived at Bharat Mandapam for the summit. He addressed a closed session on ‘Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism’ before joining other leaders at the ‘Bharat Innovates’ exhibition. The Prime Minister also took part in the customary family photograph and a joint tree plantation programme with the visiting leaders on the lawns of Bharat Mandapam. One of Saturday’s key diplomatic engagements was Modi’s bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The day concluded with a gala dinner hosted by the Prime Minister for the visiting leaders.
On Sunday, Modi met leaders from BRICS partner countries and Outreach invitees and participated in a family photo session before addressing the summit session titled ‘Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth’. A series of bilateral meetings followed at Bharat Mandapam. Modi met Kazakhstan Prime Minister Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima and Ugandan Vice-President Jessica Alupo.
